Warehouses typically include one or more loading docks for transferring goods/cargo to and from over-road trailers. Conventional loading docks usually consist of an opening in a side of the warehouse. The opening is usually positioned a few feet above the ground to be approximately level with shipping trailers. To load or unload goods, the doors on the aft end of the trailer are opened and the trailer is backed up to the loading dock opening. Workers can then pass into the trailer through the opening to load or unload goods.
The types of equipment utilized at loading docks can include one or more of vehicle restraints, dock levelers, overhead doors/openers, and/or linked or unlinked control systems. For example, an overhead door (e.g., roll-up door) may be employed to close off the opening when a trailer is not backed up to the loading dock. Likewise, a vehicle restraint may be employed to secure the trailer to the loading dock during loading and unloading and prevent premature departure, trailer creep, trailer walk, etc. In addition, dock levelers may be employed to interface the loading dock to the trailer, e.g., to adjust for trailer-dock gaps and/or differences between loading dock and trailer height.
In many instances, loading dock equipment includes electrical motors (e.g., stepper motors, linear drive motors, electrostatic motors, etc.), actuators, sensors, pumps, control systems, lights, and/or the like. In other instances, electrical power may also used to operate hydraulic and/or pneumatic equipment which may, in turn, be employed to operate the loading dock equipment. In the event of a failure, high cost, or unavailability of commercially provided electrical power, use of electrical loading dock equipment may be hampered, thus disrupting the flow of goods.